News Analysis India

Tag: Netflix

  • Netflix names ‘Bridgerton’ as its ‘biggest series ever’

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: Online streamer Netflix has recently announced that the superhit show ‘Bridgerton’ is its “biggest series ever.”

    According to E! News, the series has been watched by 82 million households around the globe within the first 28 days of its release. The show’s views have marked Netflix’s own projections of 63 million households.

    As per the report by the streamer, the series was among the top 10 shows in every country except for Japan. It was also at the number one position in 83 countries including America.

    The hit show has also made Julia Quinn’s novel of the same name stand again in the New York Times bestseller list, 18 years after they were first published.

    According to E! News, a ‘Bridgerton’ musical is currently in the works following the sweeping success of the Netflix show.

    The series was also greenlit for a second season last week while the first season is currently streaming on Netflix. The second season is expected to be based on American author Julia Quinn’s ‘The Viscount Who Loved Me’.

    As per Variety, Lord Anthony Bridgerton, played by actor Jonathan Bailey, will dominate the social season. Other details regarding the upcoming season have been kept under wraps.

    The first season was well-received by the viewers and every piece of news about the show has been keeping the fans on their toes. The first season of the period drama featured actors Phoebe Dynevor and Rege-Jean Page in the lead roles.

    Created by showrunner Chris Van Dusen and bankrolled by Shonda Rhimes, ‘Bridgerton’ is based on Quinn’s novels set in the competitive world of Regency-era London’s Ton during the season, when debutantes are presented at court.

    The first season, which marked Rhimes’ first series for Netflix, released in December 2020 and is eight-episode long. The show was an instant hit owing to the killer chemistry between its lead characters Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset, played by Phoebe and Rege-Jean respectively.

    The first season focused on Daphne’s (Phoebe) debut on the marriage market and her explosive courtship with bachelor, the Duke of Hastings (Rege Jean).

    ‘Bridgerton’ also stars Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington, Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton, Ruby Barker as Marina Thompson, Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury, and Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte, among several others.

  • Netflix buys world rights to Venice Film Festival winner ‘The Disciple’

    By PTI
    LOS ANGELES: Streaming platform Netflix has picked up critically-acclaimed and award-winning musical drama “The Disciple”, directed by Indian director Chaitanya Tamhane.

    The Marathi language film, executive-produced by Oscar winner Alfonso Cuaron, made its European premiere at the 77th Venice Film Festival where it won the best screenplay award last year.

    “The Disciple”, also written and edited by Tamhane, follows Sharad Nerulkar (Aditya Modak), an Indian classical vocalist trying to achieve purity in his work as he has been raised on the stories of his father and guru about the masters of the past But as the years pass, Sharad will be forced to negotiate between the complex realities of life in contemporary Mumbai and his chosen path, leading him to find his true voice in music and in life.

    According to Deadline, Endeavor Content made the deal with Netflix. New Europe Film Sales previously repped European sales.

    Cuaron mentored Tamhane after he made his feature debut with 2014 festival favourite “Court”, which saw the latter win the Lion Of The Future award in Venice.

    Tamhane said he is happy the film is heading to Netflix and thanked his mentor Cuaron for his support.

    “The story of ‘The Disciple’ came from my own search for excellence and direction.

    It’s about how many of us follow all the rules and yet, sometimes, find that something is missing.

    “I was honoured to get the opportunity to work with a creative genius (and my mentor) like Alfonso Cuaron – who directed ‘Roma’ and ‘Gravity’.

    And now, not only has Netflix acquired it to stream to a discerning global audience.

    I’m truly grateful and humbled that global industry stalwarts have found this film worthy,” the director said.

    His aim as a filmmaker, Tamhane said, has always been to tell his story “authentically within a dramatic framework”.

    “One also needs to afford the audience intelligence and intuition to be able to invest in your story, no matter what the cultural context may be.

    I’m glad this approach worked out well for ‘The Disciple’,” he added.

    Cuaron, whose multiple Oscar-winning Spanish-language film “Roma” was released on Netflix, said he is glad “The Disciple” will be able to reach a global audience.

    “I believe Chaitanya is one of the most important new voices of contemporary cinema and I’m thrilled ‘The Disciple’ will be able to be enjoyed by audiences all around the world,” he added.

    Pratiksha Rao, Director, Content Acquisition, Netflix India, said the streaming platform wants to be the home for India’s finest films and filmmakers.

    “As we expand our film slate and tell more diverse stories from across the country, we are thrilled to be the home for Chaitanya Tamhane’s, ‘The Disciple’.

    “The film is a beautiful story of aspiration, struggle and self-doubt, and celebrates the magic of visual storytelling in the backdrop of Indian classical music, that we can’t wait to share with the world,” Rao said.

    “The Disciple” also received the prestigious FIPRESCI award, given by international film critics, in Venice and earned the Amplify Voices Award at the 45th Toronto International Film Festival, where the film had its North American premiere.

    Produced by Vivek Gomber, the film also stars Arun Dravid, Sumitra Bhave, Deepika Bhide Bhagwat and Kiran Yadnyopavit.

  • Scott Michael Foster joins Netflix’s ‘You’ season 3

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: American actor Scott Michael Foster has joined the cast of the insanely popular Netflix series ‘You’. Foster will feature in the third season of the thriller series.

    Foster, who is widely known for playing Nathaniel Plimpton II on the American musical comedy-drama ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’, will play Ryan, a local TV reporter in ‘You’ season three, reported Deadline.

    According to the publication, Foster’s character is a well-liked single father who has overcome a history of addiction. Ryan has secrets, including a controlling, calculating demeanor that he reserves for those closest to him and anyone who gets in his way.

    Apart from Foster, the show’s cast also recently added actor Scott Speedman, who will play Matthew, a successful and mysterious CEO and father who is masking a deep well of emotion underneath.

    Other new cast members include Travis Van Winkle, Shalita Grant, and Saffron Burrows, Dylan Arnold and Tati Gabrielle.

    Actors Penn Badgley and Victoria Pedretti star in the hit Netflix series about a charming serial killer named Joe (Badgley) who tends to kill the women he becomes obsessed with.

    Season two of the much-talked-about show ended with Love (Pedretti) revealing herself to be equally psychotic and also pregnant. In season three, which is currently in production, Joe and Love are going to see if the suburban family life is meant for them.

    Developed by Sera Gamble and Greg Berlanti, ‘You’ is based on Caroline Kepnes’ bestselling books ‘You’ and ‘Hidden Bodies’. The series is produced by Berlanti Productions and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television. 

  • Netflix buys animated comedy ‘The Mitchells vs.The Machines’ from Sony

    By PTI
    LOS ANGELES: Netflix has acquired the upcoming animated feature “The Mitchells vs.the Machines” from Sony Pictures Animation. As per Variety, the movie, which was previously titled “Connected”, hails Oscar-winning producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

    It was originally scheduled to release last year on October 23 but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The film has been directed by Mike Rianda and co-directed by Jeff Rowe from their original screenplay.

    It follows an everyday family’s struggle to relate while technology rises up around the world. Katie Mitchell, a creative outsider, is accepted into the film school of her dreams and her whole family decides to drive Katie to school together and bond as a family.

    But as they unplug and hit the road, technology threatens their trip – and the Earth. The voice cast is led by Abbi Jacobson and Danny McBride and also includes Maya Rudolph, Eric Andre, Olivia Colman and Doug the Pug.

    Will Allegra and Louis Koo Tin Lok serve as the executive producer, while Kurt Albrecht is the producer.

  • Delhi HC refuses to stay release of film ‘The White Tiger’ on Netflix tonight

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Thursday refused to stay release of film ‘The White Tiger’ tonight on OTT platform Netflix on a plea by Hollywood producer John Hart Jr alleging copyright violation.

    In an urgent hearing conducted late evening, Justice C Hari Shankar dismissed the stay application by the producer saying not a single reason was shown to approach the court less than 24 hours before release of the film.

    The court, which heard the matter for over two hours, issued summons to the producer of the film Mukul Deora and Netflix where it will be released tonight.

    it listed the matter for completion of pleadings before the joint registrar on March 22.

    The film ‘The White Tiger’ is based on the book ‘The White Tiger’ which was released in March 2008.

    The film features Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Rajkummar Rao and Adarsh Gourav in the lead role.

    The court said, “It is not possible for this court to come to the finding, based on the material on record, that by making and releasing the film, the defendants have indulged in copyright infringement.”

    The court said Deora and Netflix are allowed to release the film and are directed to keep detailed accounts of the film so that if at a later stage, Hart Jr succeeds, the court can determine the monetary compensation.

    It also said that on a holistic consideration of facts, especially as the plaintiffs have chosen to approach the court less than 24 hours before the release of the film, they have not been able to make out a case for an ad-interim injunction on release of the movie.

    Advocate Kapil Sankhla, representing Hart Jr, said that a literary auction agreement was executed between him and author of the book Aravinda Adiga in March 2009 and he had to make it an Oscar worthy film to be released in Hollywood.

    He said it was only in October 2019, that he came to know that Netflix was in the process of making and releasing the film on Over The Top (OTT) platform and this resulted in sending a legal notice to Deora and Netflix to seize and desist from any such act.

    Sankhla, also representing Sonia Mudbhatkal who runs a US Production Company, said his clients were never given an impression that shooting of a film was going on in 2020 as all such works were put on hold abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic and this resulted in copyright infringement.

    He sought to stay the release of the film saying it will not cause any serious financial ramifications to the defendants as the movie is to be released on OTT and not on theatres.

    Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Deora, opposed the suit saying the cause of action arose in October 2019 itself and the plaintiffs have approached the court at the 11th hour which is not permissible.

    He added that Hart Jr has concealed various relevant documents from the court and placed a one sided story and that no cause of granting ad-interim injunction was made out.

    Advocate Saikrishna Rajagopal, representing Netflix, adopted the arguments advanced by Sethi and added that the OTT film release involves huge finances and goodwill and no stay should be granted.

    After hearing all the parties, the court said it cannot arrive at a view that the defendants have prima facie infringed the copyrights of plaintiffs by making and releasing the film.

    “I am prima facie inclined to agree with Mr. Sethi that if release of the movie is stalled at this stage, it will cause serious and irreparable consequences to the defendants,” the judge said.

  • Netflix acquires Gal Gadot-starrer ‘Heart of Stone’ from Skydance

    By PTI
    LOS ANGELES: Gal Gadot-starrer “Heart of Stone” has been picked up by streamer Netflix. The espionage thriller, which is expected to launch a new franchise in the genre, is being developed by Skydance Studio.

    It is the second major deal with a streamer for a Skydance-generated tentpole-sized film, after Amazon acquired the Chris Pratt-starrer “The Tomorrow War”, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Tom Harper, who most recently directed Amazon’s “The Aeronauts”, will helm the movie.

    Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder have penned the script for the movie, which will be produced by David Elliso, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger. The details of the plot have been kept under wraps but the movie aims to put a female spin on iconic action franchises like “Mission: Impossible” and James Bond.

    Gadot, 35, will also produce the movie along with her Pilot Wave producing partner Jaron Varsano, Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn. The actor most recently feature in superhero movie “Wonder Woman 1984”, which debuted both theatrically and on streamer HBO Max on December 25.

    Gadot will also star in the Kenneth Branagh-directed “Death on the Nile”, alongside a star-studded cast. She recently wrapped production on Netflix’s “Red Notice”, the Rawson Thurber Marshall-directed heist drama which also features Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds.

  • Actor Henry Cavill confirms hamstring injury while shooting for ‘The Witcher’ season 2

    By Express News Service
    Henry Cavill has confirmed the reports of a hamstring injury he suffered late last year during the filming of the much-anticipated season 2 of Netflix’s fantasy series The Witcher.

    The Witcher is based on the series of novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. 

    It follows the intertwined destinies of three individuals in the vast world of The Continent, where humans, elves, witchers, gnomes, and monsters battle to survive and thrive, and where good and evil are not easily identified.

    Cavill leads the cast as Geralt of Rivia, alongside Anya Chalotra as Yennefer and Freya Allan as Ciri. The first season premiered in November 2019.

  • ‘The Office’ leads streaming chart ahead of departure from Netflix to Peacock

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: Famous sitcom ‘The Office’ got in hefty viewing on Netflix weeks before being shifted to its rival streamer Peacock.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the beloved comedy has topped the Nielsen streaming charts for the week from December 7 to 13, with Netflix users in the United States watching 1.28 billion minutes’ worth of the show.

    This also marks the second-highest total for ‘The Office’ in the four months of Nielsen’s weekly rankings. The first highest ratings were at 1.31 billion minutes for the previous week.

    ‘The Office’ has been in the top 10 list of the Nielsen streaming chart every week since August 2020. The much-loved show was shifted from Netflix to Peacock on January 1.

    The second in the list is ‘Star Wars’ series ‘The Mandalorian’ with over 1.04 billion minutes of viewing on Disney+. The previous week’s top two shows, Netflix’s ‘Virgin River and ‘The Crown,’ dropped to third and fourth place for the week, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

  • Prince Harry And Meghan Planning To Extend Royal Exit Deal By 12 Months: Report

    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are planning to extend their deal with the royal family to continue as non-working members in California, or the ‘Megxit deal’, The Sun reported on December 27 citing its sources. Following the couple’s deals with Netflix and Spotify, sources of the media outlet have reportedly said that their roles remain on the negotiating table in the family as they seek a more permanent agreement after they exited the royal family in January this year. However, their 12-month ‘royal exit deal’ with the Buckingham Palace is set to expire on March 31, 2021.

    As per the report, the couple is expected to negotiate their plans with the senior royals in January 2021 before Prince Harry travels to England on the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. The sources of the media outlet also said that the talks are said to be “less confrontational” than the ones that had taken place during the family’s Sandringham summit in January 2020. Moreover, both Harry and Meghan are reportedly prioritising to keep tier royal patronages.

    It was previously widely also reported that Prince Harry was ‘devasted’ to give up his military titles as the part of the couple’s initial royal exit deal. The roles that he used to hold, have been kept vacant since then. A top aide had reportedly said of the situation that, “Harry regrets losing those titles and keeping them open for as long as possible keeps that olive branch out…Don’t be surprised if they are not filled even after March 31.”

  • Akai launches 43 inch Full HD Smart TV

    Akai has launched its new smart TV in the Indian market. Its biggest feature is that it works on Amazon Made for TV user interface and it also has support for apps like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube. The 43-inch Fire TV of Akai is priced at Rs 23,999, while the 32-inch model will cost Rs 14,999. This TV can currently be purchased only from the website of Amazon India.

    It has a 43-inch full HD display that supports 1920×1080 pixel resolution. The TV panel is LCD. The display of this smart TV comes with a refresh rate of 60Hz and you can view it with a 178 degree viewing angle. The TV has 20 Watt speakers and offers Dolby Audio and DTS Tru surround sound. Support is also available. The TV has three HDMI ports and a USB port for connectivity. The remote that comes with the TV has support for Amazon Alexa voice assistant. The Remote also includes Amazon Prime Video, Hot for Netflix and Amazon Music. Keys are also present.